Tracked Progress
by PaBurke
Summary: Misery shared is misery halved.
1. Chapter 1

Tracked Progress

*avengers*wc*

Neal disabled the rooftop door alarms and silently ghosted over the pitch because a certain museum was just out of his radius. He won't steal from it tonight or tomorrow night or even next month, but when the opportunity occurred, Neal knew that he would be here making his way onto the museum roof and the weak point in their security. Now, he was checking for cameras and to judge distances.

He isn't expecting the roof to be already occupied. The man saw him coming and had an arrow aimed at Neal's eye. Neal threw up his hands in surrender. "Sorry! Didn't mean to startle anyone!"

The man, in black combat pants and a purple t-shirt, shrugged but relaxed his draw on his bow. The onceover he gave Neal was evaluating hidden weapons and not his considerable assets. The stranger decided that Neal wasn't carrying anything deadly and chose to ignore him.

Neal had been dismissed, but he moved closer rather than leave. Neal was as much of a cat as Peter claimed; he was never ignored. Plus, he was pretty damn sure that this was one of the infamous Avengers that saved New York City from the aliens last month. "My name's Neal," he told Hawkeye with a smile.

The Avenger didn't twitch.

Neal started talking, mostly lies and fabrications but Hawkeye didn't respond. Then Neal tried the truth, "I'm a thief and this is the edge of my electronic leash."

Hawkeye unerringly looked at Neal's right ankle, so the thief showed off his jewelry courtesy of the US Marshals. The man still didn't talk, but Neal didn't mind, he had gotten a response. He rambled for an hour, explaining Peter and the FBI and the rules of his parole.

He had just taken a breath to take some more when Hawkeye's soft voice said, "You're having fun in your limits."

Neal stared wistfully at the roof of the museum and admitted, "Yeah. Probably the best -and worst- thing that's ever happened to me. I have opportunities that I wouldn't otherwise."

Hawkeye rewarded truthfulness with truthfulness. "This is the edge of my electronic leash. "

Neal looked the man up and down; Hawkeye's tracker was invisible. "Where?"

Hawkeye pointed to the back of his neck and Neal didn't –couldn't- suppress the shiver.

"_Why_? You're a hero."

Hawkeye laughed at him, hollow and a bit broken, turned and walked away.

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	2. Chapter 2

Tracked Progress II

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There was something about the thief that chattered for two hours without encouragement that bolstered Clint through another round of SHIELD psych assessments. Caffrey was the first person that Clint had told about the tracking device. Natasha knew because she knew SHIELD and had put up with one for a year after joining. Stark knew because nothing electronic entered his building without him knowing. Steve knew because Stark was a blabbermouth. Pepper and Bruce knew because Steve had gone to them asking for help in getting SHIELD to take it out right now (Pepper) or failing that, finding another way to keep tabs on him (Bruce). Steve trusts him, Stark and the rest of the Avengers trust him and that has carried him this far.

Steve is going to lose the fight with SHIELD, because the only person who wants the tracker out as much as Steve is Fury who hates to have his agents benched because it messes with his plans. The tracker will come out when SHIELD and the oversight committee is sure of his stability and not before.

Clint stumbles his way through another day of Psych Evals and doesn't mention his nocturnal sojourn to the very end of his chain. None of the shrinks mention it either though Clint knows that it's been reported. They don't ask him his opinion of the tracker in his spine and Clint doesn't offer one. He has words now, thanks to Caffrey. The tracker isn't the best thing that ever happened to him, but it is a relief. He likes the knowledge that if Loki –or anyone else- crawls into his noggin, SHIELD will know. They will capture him if possible and execute him if not.

He had wondered if something in him was broken for wanting the comfort of the tracker. Then he heard the affection the thief had for his tracker, mixed with his yearning to be free. The thief liked the excitement of his job with the FBI and didn't regret the work he was doing.

Clint wanted to come and go as he pleased. He wanted to be cleared for missions again.

He also wanted to freedom to lounge in Stark's building and listen to his teammates without wondering when he was going to be sent out again. He wanted life. The tracker meant that he was still worth something alive and SHIELD wouldn't kill him.

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	3. Chapter 3

Tracked Progress III

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Peter had taken off his tracking anklet for a case. _For days._ Neal spent extended time undercover and the marks (well in this case, the perps) could drop in at any time so Neal had to stay in character. And in character meant that he couldn't be tracked electronically.

Neal was thrilled. Yes, he constantly had a tail, but Peter had to sleep sometime and with Diana and Jones working in the office backtracking the frauds, Neal could give the substitute Feds a slip at least once a day. He didn't steal anything, since Peter had the reports for any complicated thefts in the city sent straight to his phone. Neal would have been insulted except that he had planned two heists for this week, but he didn't have a counterfeit made as a replacement. So yes, Peter had planned correctly.

Neal tried to be subtle and just wince and look hurt whenever Peter's phone pinged. And it pinged often. Mozzie was busy, trying to be annoying to The Suit. Peter grinned like he knew the con. (Peter did but Neal wanted just a bit of doubt in his mind for next time.)

So Neal couldn't steal anything. He did visit Mozzie at his Wednesday residence (on Tuesday) and he visited his bakery. He had dinner at all the restaurants that were normally outside his radius. If he was caught, he would point out that he cover was the type to eat out at a different expensive place every night. Manhattan had variety but still, Neal couldn't do anything suspicious.

It was at a very high priced restaurant that Neal ran into Hawkeye again. The Avenger was sitting with a very attractive red-headed woman and a buff blond man, but it wasn't serious, since the man had time to spot Neal. His eyes evaluated Neal from his head to his… unencumbered ankle. Neal knew that Hawkeye knew that the thief was currently off his leash. Hawkeye smirked and shook his head.

Neal grinned, pleased that he could share the secret with someone that wouldn't urge him to run away to a place with no extradition treaty (Mozzie). Hawkeye's dinner companions twisted to see what was so amusing. Neal imagined that the broken Avenger Neal had chatted with weeks ago didn't smile much these days. Neal waltzed out the door before anyone had the inclination to call Peter and the FBI.

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	4. Chapter 4

Tracked Progress IV

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A couple of days after the incident with Hawkeye, a blueprint for another 'more sophisticated' tracker appeared on Peter's desk. The kind that was inserted into the subject's neck, like a pet. It actually said 'as one would a pet prone to running away.' Thankfully, Peter was insulted on Neal's behalf and tossed the entire proposal in the trash. Neal knew who to blame for the insult.

Neal retaliated by climbing to the highest billboard in his radius and painted Hawkeye in a ridiculous female comic book pose.

A beautiful Rat Pack hat arrived at June's for Neal. Neal was confused why. He handed the hat over to Mozzie to check for surprises. Only after Mozzie declared it clean did Neal wear it.

Two days later, he stopped, stunned, in the middle of the sidewalk as he read a high billboard that was newly decorated with quotes Neal had said the day before. Peter witnessed Neal's appallingly evident shock and the source of it. Peter didn't know what it meant but he worried obviously and hovered.

The hat had some sort of bug planted. Neal boxed up the hat –he couldn't bring himself to destroy it- and paid for it to be stored outside of Manhattan. Then he climbed up to the same billboard and painted yet another Hawkeye as a pin-up girl. It was painted over in a day with some bland advertisement, the owner of the billboard was probably making a mint with all eyes trained on Neal's pranks, but Neal was sure the message got through.

Two days later, Hawkeye had painted some more quotes on the billboard he had chosen. (Neal knew that Hawkeye's billboard was fifty feet higher than his and _fifty feet outside of Neal's radius _and he seethed.) Neal tore apart his apartment at June's and Peter's office and couldn't find any listening devices. He requested Mozzie's assistance and the other thief couldn't find any either. Now Mozzie was annoyed and eager to assist. Neal didn't even have to exchange favors to get Mozzie to put the newest artist rendering of Hawkeye on a billboard higher than either of the two previously used and one that should be outside of both of their radiuses.

Neal slept that night sure of his triumph, even if he would need binoculars to see all of the paintings of the billboard pit together to make the whole.

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	5. Chapter 5

Tracked Progress V

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Neal was gloating.

Peter was worrying.

Then a visitor was announced for the White Collar division. He was tall, blond, blue-eyed and muscular. Peter just about swallowed his tongue when he identified the man as Captain America.

"Just call me Steve," the man smiled. "May we talk in private?"

Peter led the way to his office and Neal made sure to slide in before the door was shut. There was no way he was going to be left out of this conversation.

Captain America –Steve- merely said, "It's fine. Mr. Caffrey should be here. I wanted to thank you for… prodding Hawkeye in your little… contest."

"Your prank war is with the Avenger, Hawkeye," Peter sighed. "Of course."

"Don't worry, Peter, I'm winning. Mostly."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you still haven't found the bugs he planted," reminded the FBI agent.

"There's no bugs," Steve interrupted.

"There has to be," countered Neal.

"He can lip-read," said the hero, "From astonishing distances. He's just making you think he planted bugs."

Peter laughed and Neal was horrified that he had been conned. Steve handed Neal a sturdy piece of leather.

"What's this?"

"Hawkeye's favorite wrist brace."

"Oh," Neal's face lit up with possibilities. He could hide this anywhere in the City.

"Did you steal that?" Peter asked.

Captain America was not embarrassed. He shrugged, "It wasn't that hard. Not with my background. You wouldn't believe the things we had to do to be fed and equipped during the War."

Neal was gleeful at the reveal and at the wrist brace in his hands. His day could not get better.

"Why are you doing this?" Peter insisted on an answer.

Steve had one hand on the door to leave. "Because Hawkeye needs this. The pranks are doing more for him than therapy."

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	6. Chapter 6

Tracked Progress VI

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Neal hid the wrist brace in the Empire State Building during a case. He chortled the entire way to the car. Peter looked worried.

Before the week was out, the wrist brace was mailed back with a handwritten note and beautiful penmanship. "Try again. Please make it more of a challenge."

Neal was slightly annoyed that Hawkeye had obviously found it so fast but giggled at the thought of Captain America stealing it again and writing his disappointment at Neal's bungled hiding of the ill-gotten gain. Also Neal had an example he could copy for future forging of _Captain America's_ handwriting.

The weeks continued in the same vein. Cases with Peter, hiding the wrist brace with Mozzie in increasingly esoteric places and Captain America sending it back.

And then the wrist brace wasn't returned.

And wasn't returned.

Neal and Mozzie scoured the international news for articles pertaining to the Avengers but even Tony Stark was laying low. Neal didn't think the newest hiding spot was any more inspired than any of the previous ones, but still no envelope arrived for Neal (without a return address).

Then an envelope did arrive –without a return address- much too small for the wrist brace. Instead a smashed computer chip slid out of the cardboard, with a scrap of paper. 'Thanks' was scribbled on it.

Oh. Hawkeye was free. He had served his parole (for whatever crime) and now was off his electric leash. He had probably found his wrist brace but since he had worked through his problems, Captain America didn't need to steal it and send it to Neal anymore.

Neal felt a little used and left behind. It had been fun playing games inside their mutual invisible fence. He was pleased for his… friend, but expected no more contact.

Then Peter showed him the document on an official SHIELD letterhead (and Neal itched to attempt to forge it) sent to the FBI thanking Neal for his assistance and advocating his early release. Neal didn't know the Avengers well enough to know if Captain America or Hawkeye was behind the influential piece of paper, but he was thankful. The paper failed to make an impact on Neal's time served –he was too useful for the Feds to surrender- but it did give Peter the needed leverage to keep him in New York City when the PTB wanted to ship him to DC.

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End file.
